Highly anticipated event offers weekend of wine tastings, food pairings, celebrity chef demonstrations and more
RIDGEFIELD, Wash. (July 18, 2023) – The ilani Wine & Food Fest returns Aug. 10-13 with rooftop wine tastings, celebrity chef demonstrations, specialty food pairings and more. This year’s celebration is bigger than ever, with events held throughout the resort, including poolside at the newly opened ilani Hotel. Guests are invited to sip and sample through each day’s happenings, including the festival’s signature Grand Tasting.
The Chefs
ilani Wine & Food Fest features an impressive lineup of celebrity chefs and local favorites who will be providing cooking demonstrations and entertainment throughout the weekend. Headliners include Alton Brown, Food Network fan favorite and “Good Eats” host; Maneet Chauhan, regular judge on Food Network’s hit series “Chopped” and “Tournament of Champions” winner; Nyesha Arrington, contestant on Bravo’s “Top Chef” and star of Fox’s “Next Level Chef”; Marc Murphy, judge on Food Network’s “Chopped” and “Chopped Junior”; and Andrew Zimmern, creator and host of Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods” franchise.
Joining the lineup this year are Lamar Moore, winner of Food Network’s “Vegas Chef Prizefight”; Brian Duffy, Spike TV regular on “Bar Rescue” and featured on Food Network’s “BBQ Brawl”; Alex Belew, season 21 winner of Fox’s “Hell’s Kitchen”; Shari Mukherjee, contestant on Fox’s “MasterChef”; Monti Carlo, food television personality and contestant on Fox’s “MasterChef”; and Mary Cressler and Sean Martin, owners of award-winning outdoor cooking website Vindulge. Additionally, Fox’s “MasterChef” contestant Deanna Colón returns to emcee the weekend-long festival.
The Events
From tastings to brunch to poolside parties and more, ilani Wine & Food Fest has something for everyone. All ilani Wine & Food Fest tickets, pricing and celebrity chef appearances are available at ilaniresort.com. Events include:
Michael Jordan’s Steak House Domaine Serene Dinner (Aug. 10, 7 p.m., Michael Jordan’s Steak House) – Michael Jordan’s Steak House and Domaine Serene team up for a three-course dinner, pairing steak house favorites with prized wines from the Willamette Valley vineyard. A portion of proceeds from each ticket will go to Maurice Lucas Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering youth in Portland, Ore., with opportunities for positive developmental growth through sport. Tickets are $223 per person and can be purchased here.
Poolside Dine-Around Party (Aug. 10, 7:30 p.m., ilani Hotel) – Foodies have a chance to party with their favorite celebrity chefs in an intimate dine-around setting in the new ilani Hotel. Guests can experience delicious dishes paired with fine wine at live cooking stations while enjoying the lively environment of an ilani poolside party. Tickets are $64 per person and can be purchased here.
Celebrity Chef Dine-Around (Aug. 11, 7:30 p.m., Cowlitz Ballroom) – Guests will enjoy the sights and sounds of celebrity chef favorites preparing their signature dishes at live cooking stations. Every dish will feature a premium wine pairing to complement each offering. Tickets are $95 per person and can be purchased here.
Bubbles & Bloodys Brunch (Aug. 12 and 13, 10 a.m., Cowlitz Ballroom) – Weekend mornings at ilani Wine & Food Fest start with hand-crafted bloody Marys, sparkling mimosas and a variety of premium brunch favorites. Some of the celebrity chefs will be cooking up their favorite brunch offerings for a can’t-miss culinary experience. Tickets are $59 per person. Saturday’s tickets can be purchased here and Sunday’s tickets can be purchased here.
Grand Tasting Session (Aug. 12, noon and 5 p.m.; Aug. 13, noon, Garage Rooftop) – At the Grand Tasting sessions, guests can sample hundreds of wines and beers and enjoy limited tastings of specialty spirits on the rooftop garage. Guests will also enjoy celebrity chef demonstrations, signature dishes from local restaurants, and industry insights from regional and national wine experts. Saturday’s sessions tickets are $59 per person and can be purchased here. Tickets for Sunday’s session are $49 per person and can be purchased here.
Vintage Elite Cru (Aug. 12, 4 p.m., Garage Rooftop) – Oenophiles will have the chance to sample the best-of-the-best vintages from the region and beyond at Vintage Elite Cru. This exclusive and intimate event provides wine lovers with the opportunity to sample the best each winery has to offer and interact with the winemakers and principals behind the prized vintages. Tickets are $105 per person and includes ticket to one Grand Tasting session. Session one tickets can be purchased here and session two tickets can be purchased here.
More information about ilani Wine & Food Fest 2023 is available at ilaniresort.com.
**Please note: schedule of events, locations and appearances are subject to change.
ABOUT ILANI:
Located on the Cowlitz Reservation in Ridgefield, Washington, ilani, developed by the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and Salishan-Mohegan, a partnership that includes Mohegan Sun, one of the world’s foremost gaming and entertainment developers and operators, is the Pacific Northwest’s premier hotel, gaming, dining, entertainment and meeting destination. With nearly 400,000 total square feet, ilani includes a luxury hotel with deluxe amenities, more than 100,000 square feet of gaming space with nearly 3,000 slots and 75 gaming tables; 18 different restaurants, bars and retail outlets; and a 2,500-seat meeting and entertainment venue hosting nationally recognized performances. For more information, visit ilaniresort.com and follow ilani on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.